1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of brake lining and brake friction material industry. In particular, the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for drilling of brake show lining.
2. Description of the Related Art
The first drilling machine for the brake shoe lining industry was developed in the early 1980s in the former Soviet Union. A need was met when this prototype machine was created; for the whole concept was to increase drilling productivity over slower manual drilling for brake shoe lining drilling. One of the first successful prototypes for a brake shoe lining drilling machine was created for a Russian friction material company. The machine functioned with great success. The prototype is described in detail in a certificate for invention No. SU 1542780, filed in the former Soviet Union on Oct. 6, 1987, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
While the original design as described in SU 1542780 was successful, several drawbacks did exist, such as inability to easily drill different linings, lack of drilling precision, and complicated and inflexible design. Thus, there was a needed for a brake lining drilling machine and method which would provide a more flexible design and higher drilling accuracy.